Daily Newsletter March 28, 2012
Today's Topic: Fungi
Suggested Readings: Doctor Fungi (a great site for general medical mycology).
The Web of Life: Fungi (Good general introduction).
I like fungi. Their fun, do some amazing things, and perform critical function in our ecosystems. They also tend to be the least discussed in biology classes. Why? Few people work on them. They are not as high profile as viruses, or not as well known as the pathogenic bacteria. Save for the fungi used in food, we usually think of fungi in a negative light (you have mold! Kill it, Kill it, Kill it).
Fungi though have been the work horse of genetics, and yeast has been used for baking and brewing for thousands of years. So what is so interesting? Here is a small list:
- Ascospores can be used to demonstrate meiosis, and provides a great visual of Mendelian genetic at work.
- Fungi are great models of eukaryotic genetics and molecular processes.
- Most of our antibiotics are derived from Fungi.
- Fungi can be used to fight insects (biocontrol)
- Some fungi can even lasso nematodes in the soil (the purpose is to acquire nitrogen)
- http://youtu.be/0n04wCkIpuQ
- Fungi are used as food and to prepare food.
- Some fungi spoil food (bread mold)
- Fungi are even now being used as replacements of Styrofoam: http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/04/13/using-fungi-to-replace-styrofoam/
- They are decomposers (natural and use in industrial settings).
- Mycorrhizal fungi help plants to grow.
- Some fungi are plant pathogens.
- Pathogenic Fungi of animals and mycotoxins.
Daily Challenge: Pick one topic about fungi, and write about it.
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